All over for another year. Overall it has been a very good Tour - GC and Points in the balance all the way to the end - and (so far at least) no doping controversies.
Always good to look back at one's predictions:
What IMO is the best annual sporting event starts on Saturday.
Predictions
Yellow - Can't see past Alberto Contador - it's a very mountainous Tour and he's a great climber. My outset bet is Andy Schleck. It'll be interesting to see how Bradley Wiggins and the new Sky team do. If he can improve on last year's fourth I'll be amazed but delighted.
Green - Mark Cavendish's not to win. Might not secure as many wins as last year, but will hopefully have the nous to secure points on the days when he's not on the podium.
King of the Mountains - By right it should be Contador, but contenders for GC don't ruin their chances by contesting climbs that would jeopardise their chances of finishing in yellow on the Champs de Elysees. I'll go for someone with unfulfilled potential on a team not having to contest anyother classification: Lampre's Damiano Cunego.
Young Rider - Andy Schleck.
Two out of four - not bad.
Cavendish second in the points competition, and if he'd started as he finished he'd have won it.
Cunego fifth in the King of the Mountains. Note to self: this seems to be the competition that the French seem to go after, bear in mind when making predictions for 2011.
In the meantime, I've taken advantage of the blank Premier League weekend on 11th September and volunteered to be a marshal on the first stage of the Tour of Britain. Hopefully get to see some of the up-and-coming stars of the future whizzing through Lancashire.
